froze out, warm by the fire
by saphira e.sparrow
Summary: Neal had cut and run... Or has he ? rated for laugage


I still don't own White Collar damn

Peter's pov 

It had been about two weeks since I got the call that Neal had cut his anklet.  
*flashback *  
I hated being woken up to the sound of my phone, cause it's never good news. "Hello" "Neal Caffery cut his anklet." with that said it felt like a block of ice fell in my stomach. A few months ago I would have thought Neal had run for Kate, but she was gone. And past experience had taught that Neal never cut his anklet unless told or he was in trouble.

At the office I was watching Neal's tracking data. Everything looked normal he had been at home when it cut off. But something didn't add up. Where were the signs if he would have run? Then something caught my eye...well my ear. It was Morse code. I hit replay and listen to the hidden massage. K-E-L-L-E-R. Keller. Oh no. Keller was Neal's archrival and everything Neal wasn't. Namely a slum ball, a bastard, and a murderer. Neal had teamed up with the FBI to bring him down and send him to jail. Now he was out and had Neal.

I had the team put out an APB on Keller. Then went to June's for clues. I was about to go into his apartment when I heard something moving inside. I drew my gun and gently opened the door...I breathed a sign of relieve when it turned out to just been Mozzie.

"Suit," he seemed less than surprised to see me. "Took you long enough," he muttered, shuffling away from the door. "What're you doing here?" I asked, suspicion rising. "More than you," the little man snapped. "I was just checking to see whether or not Neal left anything before he left. Because, unlike you, I believe that Neal may not have had a say in his disappearing act." "See, that's where-" I started but got cut off.

"No, I don't want to hear any excuses. You suits are all the same; you simply refuse to see what's right in front of your eyes. A wise man once said-" "Mozzie-" I tried again. "Don't interrupt me when I'm about to quote!" "Mozzie!" "What?"

I sighed. I've would've wondered why Neal continued to be friends with the guy, if it hadn't been for his blatantly obvious concern for his friend. "I know. I'm not so sure Neal left of his own accord, either." "Oh," his mood changed instantly. "Well I've been here for an hour and I haven't found anything."

"Keller took him," I told him. He went stiff as a board then fell onto the couch, with his head in his hands. "And you have no idea where he is." It wasn't a question is statement of fact. "No," I hated to say it, but I had no clue. "Then Neal's as good as dead," his voice cracked at the last word.

Normally I would have yelled at his lack of faith, but the little guy looked too close to tears. "You know him better then me. What's he going to do to Neal?" "You've seen what he does to someone who is just seen as a lose end." Yeah he had been run over. "But for someone who went from conman to fed, and turned him in…He'll destroy him mentally, pick the one thing he's most secure with and crush it, till there's no more fight in him, then he'll leave to die."

God this guy was more twisted then I thought. I had to find Neal and fast.

*End Flashback*

It had been two weeks since that; I still had no clue where Neal was. While I was thinking of finding new leads my phone rang. "Hello" "How you doing, Agent Burke." On hearing the snide voice I saw red, it was Keller. "Where's Neal you sick son of a bitch?"

"He's right here. Say 'hi'." All that was heard was a soft whimpering. "I said, 'say hi'," he growled then there come a thump followed by a groan of pain and a choked 'hi'. I was officially going to kill him. "Give him back."

"Cant do that but tell you what I'll give you the little video we made as way to remember him by. Cause he ain't going to be around much longer," then the line went dead, and my computer chimed that I had an email.

The camera view showed Keller leaning against a wall with a small device in his hand, and Neal chained to a chair with a collar around his neck. "Time for some payback, eh, Caffery?" he asked with a cruel grin. "You're going back to jail, Keller. Peter has nasty habit of always finding me when I run and no ever I'm with." The way he said that with so much confidence it hurt to know I still had no clue where he was.

"Ah. Funny yo should bring up that master of yours. Cause he's the way I'm going to break you," he laugh coldly. "How…" Neal was cut off by he own painful scream. That was when I realized that the collar around his neck was a shock collar.

"Peter is not going to find you." Scream. "He doesn't care about you." Scream. "He thinks you ran." Scream, then the screen went black.

I felt violently sick. Neal had told me that I was the only one he trusted now I had just watch that son of bitch try to shock that trust out of him. I followed the usual motions, have the team trace the call and the email, but of course it lead nowhere. Finally I just went home to my wife for some peace of mind.

About half way there my phone rang, by this point I was seeing the thing as nothing but bad news and almost didn't answer it. Almost. "Hello," I said. "P…p…Peter" came weak voice, but I knew who it was. "Neal! Thank God. Are yo okay?" "No…s…so…co. cold" Now I knew he was outside which was as of now was turning into a blizzard. I would have asked him to tell me were he was but he had trouble getting what he had out.

"Neal keep your phone on I'll find you." I could almost hear the smile on his face. "I know you will. You're three and o." I smiled myself. Keller hadn't broken him, and knew he would be okay if he was making jokes. I activated the GPS on his phone, and drove to the park.

After searching for three minutes I found him unmoving sprawled on the ground, covered in snow and starting to turn blue, the pohne culched in his hand. I checked his pulse it was alittle weak but nothing hospital worthy. After that I wasted no time covering him in my coat and taking him to the car with the heat going full blast.

I had called ahead, to make sure el was ready for a very cold Neal. Naturally she went into battlwmode. So when we got home, we had in no time flat had Neal in our guest bedroom, covered in thick blankets, a warm cloth on his head, and an equally concerned dog at his feet.

El had been exhausted with worry over the past few weeks, so after we had Neal settled she crashed. I watched Neal as he slept, as I did that I came to the realization that I saw him as not only my partner, but as my son. I had no idea how it happened but somehow he had wormed his way into our family, but I wasn't complaining, I was more then happy to have him as part of it.

After a while he began to wake up,his eyesimmediaently on me. "Knew you'd find me. I f only to haul me butt back to prison for running," he said with a weak smile, then it faded, "Why aren't I in jail?" "Because I didn't believe you ran on your own. And Keller was stupid enough to send me avideo of what he did. So when we catch him he's done," I said. Neal flinched at the mention of what had happened. "That really hurt," he mumbled. "How'd you get away?" I ask, because couldn't figure out why Keller would let him go, if he wasn't broken.

The old gleam in his eyes returned. "I tricked him into thinking he won, that he broke me. So he dumped my in the park to freeze. I would have gotten away on my own, but I was so tired after all the shock treatments that I couldn't move. Luckily swipped his phone and called you. And you found me," he said with a grateful smile.

I leaned over and started to ruffle his hair. "Yeah kid. I found you. I always do." He smiled genuinely before the past two weeks caught up with him and his eyed started to drop. I chuckled softly, "Get some rest kid. We'll take him down when you're back to your annoying self…Granted you survive El babying you tomorrow."

"If that's the case then I may never leave," he said tiredly, before falling into the most peaceful sleep he had to have had in the llast two weeks. We were going to catch this guy, and when I had him I was going to throw every book at him. Cause no one messed with my son.


End file.
